What Vise should i get in your opinion

Paulus

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Hello everyone,

i will keep it pretty short. I am kind of new to the art of engraving and at the moment using hammer and chisel and hand pushing method. In the future i will probably change to a pneumatic system. Till now i used an old vise from my workplace. I am planning to get either a "Goliath Engraving Vise" from Lindsay or a MagnaBlock Vise from GRS. Are there people out there who have made experience with both vise? The price is pretty equal so please help me to decide and give me some pro/cons you experienced using those vise. Thank you for your time! :biggrin:


Paulus
 

Roger Bleile

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Paulus,

Since your are in Germany, you may want to learn engraving as taught at the engraving school in Suhl (Berufsfachschule für Büchsenmacher und Graveure). Suhl trained engravers use a bench vise mounted on a shaft with a drag adjustment. I suggest you contact Hendrik Frühauf in Breitenbach. Here is a link to his web site where you can see images of Hendrik and his employees at their vises: http://www.gravuren-fruehauf.de/

The advantage of learning to engrave in the Suhl methods is that you can confer with other German engravers about their techniques while working with similar tools.
 

JJ Roberts

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Paulus,You can set up a small bench vise mounted on a pedestal and engrave while standing I felt that engraving at a stationery vise was wasted motion found that once the design was lay out lock the gun part in the vise and I walk around the pedestal and was able to cut better scrolls by standing over the work with hammer & chisel,it was so much easier for me and this is the way I teach students who want to learn engraving with H&C. J.J.
 

Roger Bleile

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In the Suhl method, the engraver doesn't move around the vise. As the chisel cuts the scroll the vise pivots on its axis. In the videos linked below, Scott Pilkington shows me with German engravers in the Merkel factory. They are demonstrating their method. In the few minutes that I tried it, I was not able to make the vise go all the way around the way they do but the German engravers are very proficient at it. In the fourth link you will see Hendrik cutting a scroll with the Suhler Schraubstock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHvtPzKd8wo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nduaNTDnVCQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzGn7b6UK2g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x15c1hzYCP8
 
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Dave London

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As for the vises I have both and prefer the Lindsay since it is made completely of stainless steel
 

Paulus

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Oct 4, 2017
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Munich, Germany
Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions! @ Roger Bleile: I will try to get to the Open-door day at the engraving school Suhl next year to get a closer look. But i think this technique only works good for hammer and chisel engraving? When engraving with an pneumatic assisted graver i guess a ball vise would be the one to go, or am i wrong? Looking back i wish i would have made an apprenticeship in engraving at Suhl instead of being an CNC-programmer/miller what i am now, dont take me wrong, it is also interesting and has it advantages since i made many of my engraving tools myself so far. Well i am only 25 so i have plenty of time to learn new things :). Thanks Dave for your input. I gotta say i am close to get the Lindsay one instead of GRS i will wait for some more time with my decision though.

(Sorry if the english is not good)
 

JJ Roberts

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Paulus,Dont's buy any tools until your go to the engraving school in Suhl and get the advise from the engraver there,take advantage of having an so many talented engravers in your home country. J.J.
 

monk

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for me,, air assist and pusgraving pretty much demand the ballvise. for h&c most any ole machinist vise would do. i've even done a few front stuffing rifles suspended from the ceiling! the brass and silver doodads were already attached. in those days, i was too poor and too dumb to turn such work away !
 

Takoyaki

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Dec 29, 2015
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Japan
hi Paulus,

just need to look the details of both!
e.g.the foot/stand ...

I wouldn t want to pay that money and get a cheap plastic stand or even a rubber tyre ...
The grs vises are well made, but the stands...
That would be a no go for me!

just my thoughts!

greetings
tako
 
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